Rethinking Education: Chapter 5 *Book Project*

The title of Chapter 5 is "The Seeds of a New System of Education".  The text has made it very clear that our current education system has to change and has been changing for quite some time.  The question still remains, however, of what exactly the new system will look like.  Chapter 5 addresses this question by looking at new developments in education that may be possibilities for the new face of education.  The chapter addresses home schooling, workplace learning, distance education, adult education, learning centers, educational television and videos, computer-based learning software, technical certifications, internet cafes, and lifelong learning.

Quotes from Chapter 5
"Homeschooling has been successful at improving student learning.  Children who are school at home score significantly better on standardized tests in every subject area."

I thought this was interesting because it goes against what I had thought about kids that are home-schooled   I know that there are families out there that do homeschooling very well.  However, I know more families that don't teacher their children up to par with traditional schools.  I know one family that several of the children do not have their GED certifications, even as they enter their mid-20's and early-30's.  This quote suggests that they are more of the exception than the rule.  This is a relief to me because homeschooling is an option that is growing in popularity.  I take comfort in the idea that more homeschooled children are being educated at a higher level with technology.

"Perhaps it will turn out hat some of our most productive citizens are the older people, who use their retirement leisure time to keep learning." pg 79
The traditional thought in our society is that the younger generations are the ones that are most productive   It really is a revolutionary idea that our older citizens may be the productive ones.  I wish our society was already more like this.  I know the traditional feeling that after one works hard for their entire life that one should just sit back and enjoy retirement by playing golf, caring for grand-kids, and activities of the like.  My grandparents have this attitude for themselves. I hope for something more exciting in my own retirement someday.  I want to participate in book clubs, travel, and learn once I am no longer employed.  It sounds like a much more productive and exciting life than relaxing in a rocking chair.

"Some countries, such as China, have tried to restrict access to the web in order to prevent people from learning about things that the government does not approve of." pg 88
Ummm...what?!  This seems absolutely ridiculous to me.  Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to be an American citizen. We live in the land of the free, and this means that we also have free access to the vast pool of information on the web.  Some material is censored, of course, but as citizens of the U.S.A. we have the world at our fingertips. We should appreciate this a lot more.